Adjustable back-support for seats of bicycles



- (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. GILBERT. v

ADJUSTABLE B'AGK SUPPORT FOR SEATS OPBIGYGLES, &c. NQ. 601,250. Patented Mar. 29 1898.

A TTORNEY (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. M. GILBERT. ADJUSTABLE BACK- SUPPORT FOR SEATS OF'BIGY'GLES, &c.

No. 601,250 Q Patented Mar. 29,1898.

' Fig. 2.

WITNESSES V I- ITTOIINEYJT Tn: mums PETERS 00.. mom-Lima. wnsumurnu. n. B.

I a further object-being to provide a back-supform of construction.

-necticut, have invented certain new and usethe pedal-shaft upwardly to the seat-sup- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL M, GILBERT, OF CLINTON, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE BACK-SUPPORT FOR SEATS OF BICYCLES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,250, dated. March 29, 1898.

Application filed October 2 2, 1 8 9 6.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL M. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Conful Improvements in Adjustable Back-Supports for the Seats of Bicycles, &c., of which the following is a fulland complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to seats for bicycles and similar vehicles; and the object thereof is to provide the seats of vehicles of this class with an improved adjustable back-support,

port for the seats of bicycles and similar vehicles, which may be raised into position so as to support the back when desired or lowered below the seat when notdesired for a back-support.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle-seat and its supports and showing also my improved back-support connected therewith; Fig. 2, a back View thereof; Fig. 3, a partial central vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 3, showing thebacksupport lowered beneath the seat; Fig. 5, a View similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified Fig. 6 represents a detail of the construction, and Fig. 7 a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at 5 the upright tubular rod, which extends from the support of port, and at 6 the yoke which extends from the upper end of the. tubular rod 5 downwardly to the axle of the drive-wheel, and this yoke 6 is connected with the upper end of the tubular rod 5, as shown at 7, or in any desired. manner.

I also provide a seat 8, which may be of the usual or any-preferred form and which is connected with an arm 9, formed on the seat-rod 10,'and said seat-rod is provided at its lower Serial No. 609,761. on model.)

end with a head 11, on which is formed an extension 12, which is adapted to enter the tubular rod 5 in the usual manner and to be secured thereto by any desired means. head 11 on the said rod 10 may be omitted, if desired, and said rods 10 and 12 be formed continuous, the method of connecting the seat with the tubular rod 5 being unimportant.

In the construction of my improved backsupport I provide two similar side plates 13, which are preferably of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and which are. connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar 14 and at their lower ends by a corresponding cross-bar 15, and formed on or secured to the cross-bar 15 is 2. depending plate or bar 16, which is hollow and angular in cross-section and which is provided on its outer side with a longitudinal slot 17,and the frame,consisting of the side plates 13, which are connected by the bar 14, and the lower cross-bar 15, to which is secured the bar 16, is rigidly connected with the upright tube 5 bymeans of a clamp or band 18, which is provided with side arms 20, which are connected with the side plates 13 of said frame, as shown in Fig. 7 or in any desired manner, and another clamp 19, which is secured to the lower end of the bar 16.

Passing through the upper ends of the side plates '13 of the stationary frame is a shaft 21,

. consists of two side bars 24, which are connected at their lower ends by a rod 25 and near their upper ends by a rod 26, and secured to the rod 25 is a forwardly-directed arm 27, provided with a cross-head 29, which projects in the bar 16 through the slot 17', throughwhich the arm 27 projects.

The shaft 21 is provided near each end with a crank-arm 30, which is pivotally connected with the upper ends of the side bars 24 of the adjustable frame, as shown at 31, and the operation of the springs 22 is to depress the adjustable frame into the position shown in The Fig. 4,"which is done by turning the shaft 21.

Passing transversely through the side plates 13 of the stationary frame is another shaft 32, which is provided at one end with a crank and which is also provided with a spiral spring 31, one end of which is secured thereto and the other to one of the side plates, and mounted on this shaft are two depending arms 35, the lower ends of which project slightly below the side plates 13 and the forward sides of which are beveled, as shown at 36, and formed in each is a transverse notch or recess 37, and these arms 35 are adapted to engage with the rod 25, by which the lower ends of the side bars 2% of the adjustable frame are connected when said adjustable frame is in the raised position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and the object of the spring 3* on the shaft 32 is to hold the arms 35 in the position shown in said figures, and when the adjustable frame is raised it is done by operating the crank 23, and the rod 25 at the lower end thereof will engage with the notches or recesses 37 in the lower ends of the arms 35 and said frame will be held in the raised position, and when it is desired to lower the adjustable frame the shaft 32 is operated by the crank 33, so as to release the arms from the rod '25, when said adjustable frame will at once drop into the position shown in Fig. 1.

The back-support proper is connected with the upper end of the adjustable frame or the side bars 21 thereof, and said back-support consists of two supplemental side bars 38, which are pivotally connected with the side bars 21 at 39, and said side bars 2% of the adjustable frame are provided at their upper ends with backwardly-direeted projections or shoulders 10, in which are formed segmental slots 11, and the lower ends of the bars 38 are provided with bolts 42, which project through said slots, and these bolts are provided with thumb-nuts by which the position of the side bars 38 of the back-support may be adjusted as desired, and said side bars 38 are also provided with back strips 40, and said side bars 33 are also preferably composed of separate sections and connected by joints at $3; but this last feature is not essential.

The side bars 21 of the adjustable frame are also provided with outwardly-directed pins 4A, which are adapted to enter segmental slots &5, formed in the upper outer edges of the side plates 13 of the stationary frame, when the adjustable frame is raised into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and by this means the upper end of the adjustable frame is drawn in the direction of the seat, and when said adjustable frame is lowered the upper end thereof is thrown backwardly, so as to avoid the seat in its descent, and these pins ti pass upwardly over the outwardlycurved side plates 13 of the stationary frame when the adjustable frame is raised, whereby the upper end of the adjustable frame is enabled to clear the rear portion of the seat.

One of the clamps 18, by which the stationary frame is secured to the upright tubular rod 5, is preferably connected with the seatrod 10 between the head 11 thereof and the upper end of the rod 5, and this arrangement assists in holding the stationary frame in proper position and to prevent the same from moving downwardly; but it will be apparent that other means may be employed for this purpose, and said stationary frame may be secured to the rod 5 or to the yoke (3 in any desired manner, and the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawin and the following statement thereof.

Vhen the adjustable frame and back-support are in the position shown in Fig. 4, all that is necessary to raise it into the position shown in Figs, 1, 2, 3, and 5 is to operate the shaft 21 by means of the crank 23, and in this operation the said adj ustable frame and back-support will be raised into the position shown in said figures, and the arm will engage with the cross-rod 25 and hold it in this position, and in this operation the pins 4-1, which are secured to or formed on the side bars 24C of the adjustable frame, move up over the outer edges of the plates 13 of the stationary frame and enter the segmental notches or recesses 15, and the said adjustable frame and back-support will be securely held in this position as long as required, and whenever it is desired to lower the same into the position shown in Fig. 4: the shaft is operated by the crank 33, so as to release the arms from the cross-rod 25, when said adjustable frame and back-support will at once drop into the position shown in said figure, this operation being accomplished by the springs 22 on the shaft 21.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of the construction hereinbefore described, said figure being a section similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and in this modification I employ the stationary frame consisting of the side plates 13, but one of which is shown, and these side plates 13 are united at the bottom by the cross-bar 15 and by another cross-bar 4:6, and other cross-bars +17 are also employed, through which the seat-rod 10 is passed, and formed in the side plates 13 of the stationary frame are curved slots 48, and the lower ends of the side bars 2-1 of the adjustable frame are provided at their lower ends and at each side with a lug or projection -19, one of which lugs 011 each of said bars passes through and moves in said slots and the other lug on the opposite side of each bar operates in connection with the depending arms 35 of the shaft 32, and in this form of construction the shafts 31 and 2% are also employed, and the supplemental back-support is connected with the upper ends of the side bars 21 of the adjustable frame, as hereinbefore described, and the operation will be substantially the same.

It will observed that in the modified form of construction (shown in Fig. 5) the stationary frame of the adjustable back-support is connected with the seat-rod 10; but this is not absolutely essential, and said adjustable frame may be connected with the upright tube 5 of the bicycle-frame,.if desired.

' My improved adjustable back-support for bicycles and similar vehicles is simple in construction and in Operation, and is also strong and durable, and it is evident that changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentstantially as set forth.

2. In an adjustable back-support for a bicycle, a guide connected with the frame of the bicycle; a slide connected with said adjustable back, and adapted to engage said guide, and means for raising or lowering said back, consisting of a stationary frame secured to the bicycle, crank-arms journaled in said stationary frame the free ends thereof being pivotally connected with said back, and means for operating said crank -arms, and means for locking the same in a predetermined position, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

3. In an adjustable back-support for a bi-- cycle, a guide connected with the frame of the bicycle; a slide connected with said adjustable back, and adapted to engage said guide, and means for raising or lowering said back, consisting of a stationary frame secured to the bicycle, crank-arms journaled in said stationary frame the free ends thereof being pivotally connected with said back, and means for operating said crank-arms, and means for locking the same in a predetermined position, consisting of notched arms pivotally connected with said stationary frame, and adapted to engage a rod secured to said adjustable back.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 20th day of October, 1896.

JOEL M. GILBERT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES SQROGERS, A. L. PICKARD. 

